Decoding the Spine

Dr Richard Fawcett is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

His areas of specialist interests are Spinal Radiology and Interventional Musculoskeletal Radiology with an active research interest in these fields. 

As an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, Dr Fawcett is actively involved with postgraduate teaching and training of resident radiologists and clinical fellows in The Leeds MSK Radiology department. He lectures nationally and internationally in the field of Musculoskeletal Radiology.

He is a member of the British and European Societies of Skeletal Radiology and was the organiser of the BSSR Refresher Course in Leeds, 2023.

Recent clinical advisory roles include working with NICE to establish the national guidance for the percutaneous treatment of vertebral metastases, and with NHS England on the national pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome.

Dr Fawcett founded The British Spinal Intervention Course, a hands-on course to teach and train medical professionals in Spinal Interventional Radiology.

Dr David McKean is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

David studied medicine at St John's College, Oxford, completed his training at the Oxford School of Radiology and sub-specialised in Musculoskeletal Radiology at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

He is currently the Clinical Lead and Radiology Research Lead for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Director of the Stoke Mandeville Musculoskeletal & Spinal Radiology Fellowship, Radiology Lead for the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) MDT and has previously acted as Associate Medical Director for Research and Innovation.

David is dedicated to teaching and is currently Secretary of the British Society of Skeletal Radiologists (BSSR). He is also a member of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) Intervention Subcommittee and the International Skeletal Society (ISS) Social Media Subcommittee. 

Dr McKean is active in research and teaching regarding musculoskeletal injury, complex spinal cord injury and image guided musculoskeletal intervention. He has published in high impact journals such as JAMA, Neurology, Skeletal Radiology, Bone and Joint, and Nature Spinal Cord.

Steve is a Consultant Interventional Spinal Radiologist at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Southmead is a designated Major Trauma Centre and tertiary referral centre for Orthopaedic Spinal Surgery, and Neurosurgery.

Steve is an integral member of the Spine MDT, Complex palliative pain meeting, and regional spine MDT.

Steve leads the Spinal Intervention service, this comprises both complex work: including spine tumour treatments and vertebral augmentation, in addition to pain intervention and diagnostics.

The Complex service continues to grow, Southmead is one of the busiest Interventional Spine services in the UK, and a reference centre within Europe.

Steve regularly has external visitors and runs Spine RFA and vertebroplasty courses in Bristol.

Most recently, Steve participated as invited faculty at the ESNR hands-on course (Sicily, April 2024), and the inaugural British Spinal Intervention Course (BSIC) Interventional Spine (Leeds, May 2024).

Prior to this, Steve has taught at the ASSR hands-on Spinal Intervention Course (Charleston, Feb 2023), European Soc. Neuroradiology (ESNR) hands-on Spinal course (Sicily, April 2021), and the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) Masterclass (New Orleans, Jan 2020).

Steve has also functioned as an invited Expert for the NICE review of RFA and augmentation for painful spinal metastases (April 2023).

Dr Richard James is a Consultant Spine and Diagnostic Radiologist at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath. Having completed his radiology training in the Severn Deanery, he undertook a 1-year Neuroradiology Clinical fellow post in Southmead Hospital with a focus on spine intervention and diagnostic neuroradiology. He completed the European Diploma in Neuroradiology (EDiNR) in 2018. 

Richard works between the Royal United Hospital in Bath and also at Southmead Hospital. Alongside Dr Morgan he provides the regional spine tumour ablation and vertebral augmentation service. As part of his interventional role Richard contributes to the Southmead Spine multidisciplinary team (MDT) and also works with the spinal, palliative care, orthogeriatric and oncology teams in Bath-Bristol.

Richard is a keen educator and teacher. He is also involved in the organisation and delivery of practical training courses for vertebral augmentation procedures.

Dr. Ankit is a distinguished Senior Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Chairman of the Chapter of Diagnostic Radiology at the College of Radiologists, Singapore. With nearly two decades of experience in the field, he plays a vital role in radiology education and undergraduate training as a senior clinical lecturer at YLL School of Medicine and an Asst Professor at NTU - Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore.

Dr. Ankit has been an integral part of the National Health Group Radiology Residency Programme for over 15 years, previously holding the position of Chairman of the Programme Evaluation Committee. He is the director of the National Radiology Residency Lecture Series, a key initiative aimed at enhancing the curriculum for radiology residents across Singapore.

His scholarly work includes nearly 50 international indexed publications and book chapters focused on musculoskeletal radiology, and he frequently presents at local, regional, and international conferences. Additionally, he is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Applied and Clinical Radiology.

After successfully completing his term as Chair of the Musculoskeletal Radiology Subsection of the Singapore Radiological Society, Dr. Ankit continues to be actively involved in driving subsection activities as the current Vice Chair and Secretary. He also serves as an Executive Committee member of the Singapore Radiological Society. Dr. Ankit is also a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Applied and Clinical Radiology.

Throughout his career, Dr. Ankit has received numerous accolades, including the more recent Best Practice Medal under the Care Redesign category at the National HIP Medals 2024, and the Excellence in Action Award during NHG Quality Day 2024. He was also honoured with the NHG Teaching Award for Senior Doctors in 2020 and recognized with the Human Resource Development Programme Award for advanced specialist training at Leeds National Trust Hospitals in the UK.

Dr. Ankit’s extensive experience and commitment to radiology education and innovation underscore his leadership in advancing the discipline in Singapore and beyond.

Hi there I'm Dan, an MSK Radiologist in Yorkshire, UK. I'm also the Lead of my Regional Imaging Network (Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative) and a huge Health Tech enthusiast. I'm still an active software developer and front end coder.

My Interests in MSK Radiology are:

Sports Injury Imaging

MSK USS guided intervention

Spinal Imaging and Intervention

Health Tech Interests:

Web based PACS and image sharing (check out pacsbin.com)

Building radiology networks for large scale image sharing and cross network reporting

Gamification of radiology solutions and adaptation of the workplace

The design and application of AI solutions into the front end workflow

Health tech business development

Education:

I train MSK radiologists who come to work with me on attachment, lecture online and through the British Society of Skeletal Radiologists. I also run FRCR exam courses with Radiology Masters.

Sameer Raniga, MD, FRCR, is an attending radiologist at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman. He completed his radiology training and a fellowship in cross-sectional imaging at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, India, where he also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology.

Dr. Raniga’s subspecialty interests include emergency, musculoskeletal, and neuroradiology. He is a strong advocate for radiology education and is dedicated to promoting it to medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing radiologists in India and Oman through international outreach programs. He is actively involved in Oman's radiology residency training program as a trainer and as a core committee member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education – International (ACGME-I). Additionally, he has a keen interest in radiology journalism, quality control, patient safety in radiology and non-interpretative skills.

In addition to his other roles, Dr. Raniga is a reviewer for several academic journals, including RadioGraphics, the American Journal of Roentgenology, the European Journal of Radiology and Insights into Imaging. He is also an associate editor for Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. Dr. Raniga serves as an education exhibits abstract reviewer for the RSNA Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee (AMPPC) and is a member of the RadioGraphics Social Media and Digital Innovation team.

Dr. Raniga has published over 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals, six book chapters, and 25 scientific exhibits, and has been an invited speaker at more than 80 national/international congresses.

Dr Richard Fawcett is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

His areas of specialist interests are Spinal Radiology and Interventional Musculoskeletal Radiology with an active research interest in these fields. 

As an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, Dr Fawcett is actively involved with postgraduate teaching and training of resident radiologists and clinical fellows in The Leeds MSK Radiology department. He lectures nationally and internationally in the field of Musculoskeletal Radiology.

He is a member of the British and European Societies of Skeletal Radiology and was the organiser of the BSSR Refresher Course in Leeds, 2023.

Recent clinical advisory roles include working with NICE to establish the national guidance for the percutaneous treatment of vertebral metastases, and with NHS England on the national pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome.

Dr Fawcett founded The British Spinal Intervention Course, a hands-on course to teach and train medical professionals in Spinal Interventional Radiology.

Dr Richard James is a Consultant Spine and Diagnostic Radiologist at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath. Having completed his radiology training in the Severn Deanery, he undertook a 1-year Neuroradiology Clinical fellow post in Southmead Hospital with a focus on spine intervention and diagnostic neuroradiology. He completed the European Diploma in Neuroradiology (EDiNR) in 2018. 

Richard works between the Royal United Hospital in Bath and also at Southmead Hospital. Alongside Dr Morgan he provides the regional spine tumour ablation and vertebral augmentation service. As part of his interventional role Richard contributes to the Southmead Spine multidisciplinary team (MDT) and also works with the spinal, palliative care, orthogeriatric and oncology teams in Bath-Bristol.

Richard is a keen educator and teacher. He is also involved in the organisation and delivery of practical training courses for vertebral augmentation procedures.

Dr David McKean is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

David studied medicine at St John's College, Oxford, completed his training at the Oxford School of Radiology and sub-specialised in Musculoskeletal Radiology at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

He is currently the Clinical Lead and Radiology Research Lead for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Director of the Stoke Mandeville Musculoskeletal & Spinal Radiology Fellowship, Radiology Lead for the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) MDT and has previously acted as Associate Medical Director for Research and Innovation.

David is dedicated to teaching and is currently Secretary of the British Society of Skeletal Radiologists (BSSR). He is also a member of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) Intervention Subcommittee and the International Skeletal Society (ISS) Social Media Subcommittee. 

Dr McKean is active in research and teaching regarding musculoskeletal injury, complex spinal cord injury and image guided musculoskeletal intervention. He has published in high impact journals such as JAMA, Neurology, Skeletal Radiology, Bone and Joint, and Nature Spinal Cord.

Harun is a fellowship trained consultant musculoskeletal radiologist at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals since 2010. He is also Honorary Professor of radiology at Royal College of Radiologists of UK. He is an expert in all aspects of musculoskeletal radiology with special interest in soft tissue sarcoma and image guided MSK intervention. He is actively in involved in research at the Leeds Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

He is elected member of council of the BSSR; member of International Skeletal Society (ISS) and its Social Media and Refresher program promotion committee; member of ultrasound, Tumour and intervention committee of ESSR; and International advisory member of the Board of the MSK Society of India.

He is the Advisory Editor (MSK Section) of Clinical Radiology journal, which is the publication of the Royal College of Radiologists of UK. He was the Special Interest Lead MSK radiology, Leeds Radiology Academy and UK National Lead (MSK guidelines) for the 8th RCR radiology guidelines, called “Making best of the radiology department”.

He has over 65 publications including editor of books (most recent book is “Practical guide for imaging of soft tissue tumours” ISBN 9781032111759) and 15 book chapters. He is regular faculty of national and international meetings and courses.

He is founder of the www.mskteachingroom.com and www.primeradacademy.com. He won the MSK Radiologist of Year Award in 2023.

Dr. Lee is a distinguished consultant radiologist, trusted by premier UK sports clubs and international organizations across football, rugby, and cricket, and a go-to expert for Team GB and British Athletics. His expertise extends to elite leagues, providing critical imaging support for the NFL International Series UK and a prominent NBA team.

In the academic and clinical spheres, Dr. Lee has made substantial contributions to musculoskeletal imaging. He has authored 70 PubMed-indexed publications and contributed to the 40th edition of Gray’s Anatomy. Additionally, he has penned a chapter in the FC Barcelona Muscle and Tendon Imaging Guides, underscoring his role as a thought leader in sports medicine. His co-authored works include the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification and UEFA’s ECIS Hamstring MRI study, both vital references in the field. In recognition of his contributions to the world of sports imaging, Dr Lee was awarded Honorary Associate Professorship from University College London in 2023.

Dr. Lee is considered a world authority on imaging muscle injury and a sought-after speaker, delivering lectures at top national and international research conferences. He is an active member of key societies, including the British Society of Skeletal Radiologists, the European Society of Radiologists, and the International Skeletal Society, keeping him at the forefront of developments in his field.

Dr Richard Fawcett is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

His areas of specialist interests are Spinal Radiology and Interventional Musculoskeletal Radiology with an active research interest in these fields. 

As an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds, Dr Fawcett is actively involved with postgraduate teaching and training of resident radiologists and clinical fellows in The Leeds MSK Radiology department. He lectures nationally and internationally in the field of Musculoskeletal Radiology.

He is a member of the British and European Societies of Skeletal Radiology and was the organiser of the BSSR Refresher Course in Leeds, 2023.

Recent clinical advisory roles include working with NICE to establish the national guidance for the percutaneous treatment of vertebral metastases, and with NHS England on the national pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome.

Dr Fawcett founded The British Spinal Intervention Course, a hands-on course to teach and train medical professionals in Spinal Interventional Radiology.

Dr Rankine is an expert in all aspects of MSK radiology with a particular interest in spinal imaging and intervention. He is the lead radiologist for one of the largest multi-disciplinary spine meetings in the country which combines neurosurgical and orthopaedic spinal surgeons. He developed the radiofrequency bone tumour ablation service, one of the first in the country.

Dr Rankine has been working in medical-legal practice for nearly 20 years, giving evidence in court on a range of MSK conditions in the fields of personal injury and medical negligence. He has a particular expertise in the area of spinal trauma and spinal degeneration. His research has explored the association of trauma and spinal imaging findings of degeneration and in 2011 he gave evidence to the court of session, In Edinburgh, in a landmark case which successfully defended against the notion that repetitive trauma can cause disc degeneration (Wilson vs North Lanarkshire Council).

Mr Vishal Borse is a fellowship-trained consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon, offering treatment for the full range of spinal conditions.

Mr Borse studied medicine at the University of Leeds and completed both basic and higher surgical training in trauma and orthopaedics in the Yorkshire Deanery. During his training he also completed a MD at the University of Leeds, focusing on the development of materials and techniques to support osteoporotic vertebrae, techniques which are increasingly relevant in Spinal Surgery today.

Following completion of Orthopaedic training Mr Borse developed a a subspecialty interest in Spinal Surgery. He completed the Spinal Fellowship at the Duchess of Kent and Queen Mary Hospitals in Hong Kong, the Complex Spinal Fellowship at the Leeds General Infirmary and the Visiting Spine Fellowship at the Rigshospitalet Copenhagen.

Mr Borse has presented widely at National and International meetings and has published extensively. As a member of the British Association of Spinal Surgery (BASS) and the British Scoliosis Society (BSS), he regularly attends meetings which promote engagement and collaboration with colleagues and other professions allied to surgery.

Mr Borse is actively involved in research and has publications in renowned journals. He is a lead investigator for a £5 million pound international research project (OncoEng) and also the Chair of the Advisory Board for a Pan-European spinal research network (BioTrib).

Ramy trained at Oxford University Hospitals, earning his Royal College of Radiologists Fellowship (FRCR) in 2005, followed by a clinical fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, in 2006.

He is the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Global Ambassador and previously served as the RCR BSSR Travelling Professor from 2019 to 2021. He worked at Oxford University Hospitals, where he led the MSK Radiology Section. In 2017, he was awarded the RCR Inaugural International Travelling Fellowship Award.

He is also the Regional Coordinator for the ISS Outreach Program in North Africa and the Middle East (MENA), helping to promote musculoskeletal radiology in these regions. From 2019 to 2023, he led the MSK Team for the European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR).

As an educator and speaker, Dr. Mansour has shared his knowledge at conferences across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and has published articles in medical journals. He is a member of several professional societies, including the Canadian, British, European, and Asian Musculoskeletal Societies, as well as the Skeletal Society of Radiology (SSR) and the International Skeletal Society (ISS).

Dr David McKean is a Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

David studied medicine at St John's College, Oxford, completed his training at the Oxford School of Radiology and sub-specialised in Musculoskeletal Radiology at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

He is currently the Clinical Lead and Radiology Research Lead for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Director of the Stoke Mandeville Musculoskeletal & Spinal Radiology Fellowship, Radiology Lead for the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) MDT and has previously acted as Associate Medical Director for Research and Innovation.

David is dedicated to teaching and is currently Secretary of the British Society of Skeletal Radiologists (BSSR). He is also a member of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) Intervention Subcommittee and the International Skeletal Society (ISS) Social Media Subcommittee. 

Dr McKean is active in research and teaching regarding musculoskeletal injury, complex spinal cord injury and image guided musculoskeletal intervention. He has published in high impact journals such as JAMA, Neurology, Skeletal Radiology, Bone and Joint, and Nature Spinal Cord.

Mr Stuart Blagg has been a Specialist Spinal Consultant for the South Bucks NHS Trust and the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville since 2004. He is fellowship trained in spinal trauma, degeneration, tumour, paediatric spinal problems including scoliosis and deformity of the whole spine from occiput to coccyx. He has extensive experience of sports related spinal problems.

Nationally Stuart has been President of the British Association of Spine Surgeons and sat on the complex spine clinical reference group for NHS England for six years. He was involved in setting up the regional trauma network and the spine regional networks. He has helped to organise multiple national spine meetings, is a reviewer for the Bone and Joint Journal and is heavily involved in national spine teaching, training and standard setting.

Dr Hughes specialises in musculoskeletal and spinal imaging and image-guided treatments.

He has wide experience in treating various musculoskeletal and spinal conditions and has been Clinical Radiology Lead at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, home of the National Spinal Injury Centre. He sees many recreational and elite athletes as part of his NHS and private practice.

Wende Gibbs, MD, is a neuroradiologist and the director of spine imaging and intervention at Barrow Neurological Institute. She is certified in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology by the American Board of Radiology.

Dr. Gibbs is an expert in diagnostic and interventional spine radiology, with distinct interests in spine oncology and pain management. She is the president-elect of the American Society of Spine Radiology and the Western Neuroradiological Society and serves as the chair of education for the American Society of Neuroradiology.

Dr. Gibbs earned her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine. While there, she also completed a one-year National Institutes of Health (NIH)/General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) research fellowship evaluating novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents for the detection of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with head and neck cancer. She completed her residency in diagnostic radiology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and a two-year neuroradiology fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute.

Dr. Gibbs has authored multiple book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and award-winning abstracts. She serves on the editorial boards of three journals and is the podcast editor and host of Radiographic, the educational journal of the Radiological Society of North America. Dr. Gibbs also works on several multidisciplinary spinal surgery committees, including the North American Spine Society, and is one of the original hosts of the weekly Virtual Global Spine Conference. Dr. Gibbs is passionate about patient safety, communication, ethics, education, and exploring artificial intelligence.

Barrow Neurological Institute's Dr. Lea Alhilali is a neuroradiologist. The American Board of Radiology has certified her. Dr. Alhilali is skilled in advanced imaging techniques. She is a member of the American College of Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America, the American Roentgen Ray Society, and the American Society of Neuroradiology. Dr. Alhilali graduated from Harvard Medical School in Boston with a medical degree. She completed her internship, radiology residency, and neuroradiology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.